– What IS preschool?
– What does my kid need to learn in preschool anyway?
– What preschool curriculum do you recommend?
It surprises me how often I hear these types of questions from eager moms of Littles. I didn’t know that I would be homeschooling until my husband mentioned it when our oldest was three, so I didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on these questions before we jumped in. Over the years I’ve encouraged many a young mother who is eager to begin her homeschooling journey but doesn’t know where to begin. Now that we are “beginning” again ourselves, now seems like a great time to address these questions.
What is preschool anyway?
At its most literal, “preschool” simply means “before school.” It is the age of learning and growing that comes before formal schooling. What age does this mean? 2? 3? 4? What about the18 month old who is learning new things left and right every single day?
Yes. To all of them.
That doesn’t mean our kids need anything that LOOKS like REAL school at this age, but I DO mean that kids are learning… and learning A LOT, at these ages.
What does my child need to be doing at this age anyway? Anything and everything!
Learning Before Age Four
At 18 months, our little Mouse was busy, busy, busy! She’d open doors and close them. She’d take things out of drawers and put them back. She’d take her socks off and put them on her hands and wiggle them around. She’d climb and scribble and spin and babble and she was curious about anything and everything. More than just cute and fun, this was actually a lot of very important learning for a child this age. At this age kids learn and explore very naturally and all you need to do is provide plenty of opportunities for them to do so.
Between the ages of 2 and 3, further learning just explodes! Toddlers are little scientists and at this age they’re learning a lot of things in very little time. Much of what they’re learning may not *look* like learning but it is all essential for growth and development. Climbing, throwing, and hopping work their gross motor skills. Pinching, pulling, and scribbling tests their fine motor skills. And things like dumping water on the floor or throwing the peas is actually an experiment in cause and effect (in more ways than one.)
It’s during this time that many young explorers start learning to count objects, match things that are the same, and find things that are different. Again, they observe these things naturally – curriculum not required. All you need to do is observe and play along. Use time spent playing to discuss colors, shapes, sounds, without too much quizzing, and just let them soak it all up like a sponge.
All that to say, what a toddler needs for preschool is not actually a preschool curriculum. Not really. 🙂 All of a toddler’s learning happens through play – both independent play and by playing with them. Let them explore, investigate, and experiment.
What The Four-Year-Old Needs to Learn
Once your child begins to approach the age of four, you’ll likely begin to notice a major change in the way your child thinks. They’re really deducing and figuring this out now. Most likely they can count to 10 or higher, they’ve picked up their ABC’s, and they’re constantly asking questions about how and why things work – ALL THE TIME. Four-year-olds (and almost four-year-olds) are insatiably curious. If you see this in your child, now is the right time to begin presenting new material to learn.
And yet.
I still don’t think you need to go out and buy “a real curriculum” for your kid to learn in preschool. Why not? Because they’re still finding everything so much fun. They still enjoy learning how things work. They still think it’s a lot like playing. So let them learn through play! Read books and more books and more books. Make crafts and more crafts and more crafts. Play outside, pick the wildflowers, build with blocks, count, skip, see, spell, and discuss.
The majority of what a four-year-old needs to learn is centered around themselves – dressing themselves, learning manners, taking turns, helping, using their imagination, pursuing their interests, and finding answers to their questions. And if, while you’re doing that, you want to plan in some specific lessons or make sure your preschooler is learning certain skills, and if they’re ready, then take the opportunity.
Skills Checklists for Preschoolers
If you’re still worried about what your kids needs to learn in preschool or what you need to teach them, here are three different skills checklists to help you. Use these lists to give you an idea what the other kids your child’s age are generally learning to do. Also, here’s a short list of do’s and don’ts to help get you started in the right direction.
Disclaimer: Bear in mind that all kids learn at different rates. And sometimes a child has a delay that is no cause for concern at all. If, for example, your preschooler is still struggling to dress themselves, it might be they need more practice, more interest, or have a delay. Give your child plenty of room to grow and learn (in every area) before you begin to worry. Preschoolers are not in a hurry, and sometimes they just take their time. But of course, if you suspect some type of unusual delay somewhere then by all means, ask your pediatrician about it. It never hurts to ask!
10 Essential Skills Every Child MUST Know Before Pre-k or Kindergarten (momlifemadeeasy.com)
30 Skills Your Preschooler Should Have Before Going to Kindergarten – Preschool.org
The 16 Most Important Things Kids Learn in Preschool – Empowered Parents
In the coming weeks, I hope to share more about what we have planned for Mouse’s year of preschool at home. We will be starting mid-August and I’m really excited. =)
